Charles h



(No Mddel.) O. H. DAVIS.

COMBINED TRAIN ARRESTING AND SIGNALING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

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n Wk 11 a Mu l P N lw nnu UNITED STATES PATENT OFFicE.

CHARLES H. DAVIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINED TRAIN ARRESTING AND SIGNALING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

. SPECIFIGATIOhIforming part of Letters Patent No. 605,664, dated June14, 1898.

Application flled November 9, 1897. Serial No. 657,926. (No model.)

T coZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. DAVIS, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and usefultI nprovement in a CombinedTrain Arresting and Signaling Mechanism for Electric Railways, of whichthe following is a specification. My invention relates to electricrailways wherein there is an electric-motor vehicle and a line conductorwherefrom the motor of said vehicle derives its actuatingcurrent.

My invention consists, first, in the improvement in the art of governingthe movement of an electric-motor vehicle taking its actuating-currentfrom a line conductor, as aforesaid, which consists in controlling themaintenance of'electrical circuit between said motor and said conductorat a point on said conductor from a station distant from said point;also, in the combination of -such a line -conductor and electric-motorvehicle, as aforesaid, with a signal in proximity to said conductor, ofmeans for actuating said signal and alsofor simultaneously controllingthe closing and breaking of electrical circuit between saidmotor-vehicle and said conductor at a point distant from said signal;also, in the construction and arrangementof the circuitbreaking devices,of the combined circuitbreaking devices and signal, of thecircuitbreaking devices in combinationwith mechof a car on the mainline, showing the contact-arm between car and third rail and theoperation of said contact-arm to actuate the brakes.

Similar letters of reference'indicate like parts.

A represents the main railway-line.

B is a third railelevated upon a support, as C, and extending parallelto the track A. The third rail B is, as usual, insulated from theground.

D represents a car, and E the driving electric motor thereof.

F is an arm pivoted at G in the car and provided with aretracting-spring H, normally operating to press it in contact with thethird rail B.

It will be understood, therefore, that under normal conditions, with thecar traveling over the track, circuit proceeds from the third rail B,through the arm F, to the motor E, and

so to the main track A and ground.

I is a signal-arm pivoted at the top of the post J and connected by avertical rod K with one end of the bell-crank lever L. The other end oflever L is pivoted to the rod M, which extends below the third rail B.This rod M is pivoted to the lower ends of the pivot-levers N, the upperends of which levers are all pivoted to a bar 0, preferably having anupper inclined surface P.

Turning now to the contact-arm F, Fig. 2, this is connected bypivot-levers Q to the ordinary conductors valve R of an air-brakesystemand so arranged that when said lever F is elevated into the positionshown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, the said valve R will be opened tooperate the air-brakes on the vehicle or train in the usual manner.

The operation of the whole device is as follows: Assuming the vehicle ortrain to be moving in the direction of the arrow 1, Fig. 1, let rod K,by any suitable means, be moved upward so as to bring the signal-arm Iinto the position I, dotted lines, this position being that indicatingdanger to the train approaching it. The elevation of the rodK thenvibrates the bell-crank L, moving the rod M in the direction of thearrow 2, so turning the pivot-levers N and elevating the bar 0, so thatits inclined upper surface P rises above the level of the surface of thethird rail, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1. If then a vehicleprovided with the arm F, as described, on coming up to the signal I andfinding that signal set at danger I does not stop,its arms F will run upon the "elevated 'bar O and so be brought into the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 2, thus breaking contact between the end of arm Fand the third rail Band so breaking circuit through the motor E. The carwould therefore stop on account of the cutting off of the sou-roe ofenergy; but

in addition to this, as already explained, the l with a line conductorand a movable guard arm F in rising operates the conductors valve R andso causes simultaneously the application of the brakes to the vehicle.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to any particular formof visual signal nor to any special means actuated by the contact-leverF for the purpose of insuring the application of the brakes.

I am aware that it is old to place stopsbeside the track of asteam-railway to cause a .closing or breaking of an electrical circuiton the locomotive through which a bell or whistle or some other alarmmechanism is actuated, also that it is old to place beside a track amovable projection which when struck by the vehicle and brought back tonormal position actuates a switch or signal or analogous devices. Thesecontrivances have no relation to electric railways and do not belong tothe present art.

I am also aware that it is old in electrical railways to provide a fixedstop in proximity to a track or conductor whereby a shoe or trolley istemporarily held out of contact with the conductor at certain definiteplaces, such as crossings or other points where it is de sired thatthere never shall be any electrical circuit between the motor and theline conductor, or, in other words, where it is always requisite thatthe current shall be broken.

The term line conductor as herein used means any conductor over whichthe current passes and from which it proceeds to the motor of thevehicle. The term signal means any kind of signalvisual, audible, orotherwise. The term vehicle does not necessarily mean one having wheels,but is used here simply as a convenient term to include any sort ofcompartment, car, chamber, or carriage which contains any electriccontrivance capable of setting it in motion when energized by a currentreceived from a line conductor.

I claim 1. The combination in an electric railway with a line conductorand an electric-motor vehicle receiving current therefrom through atraveling contact bearing on said conductor, of means for controllingthe closing and breaking of electrical circuit between said contact andsaid conductor from a station on the line, thereby permitting continuedprogress of said vehicle over, or causing its arrest at, the point ofcircuit establishment and breakage, substantially as described.

2. The combination in an electric railway with aline conductor andsignal in proximity thereto and an electric-motor vehicle receivingcurrent from said conductor through a traveling contact bearing on saidconductor, of means for actuating said signal and also simultaneouslycontrolling the closing and breaking of electrical circuit between saidcontact and said conductor at a point distant from said signal,substantially as described.

The combination in an electric railway device, of a signal located at adistance from said guard device, and means for actuating said signal andsaid guard device simultaneously; whereby when said signal is set indanger position said guard device is also placed in position to separateand so break electrical circuit between said line conductor and a bodymoving upon and along the surface of said conductor and meeting the saiddevice, substantially as described.

it. The combination in an electric railway of a line conductor and anelectric-motor vehicle, a contact-arm on said vehicle normally closingcircuit between said vehicle-motor and said line conductor, and a brakemcehanism 011 said vehicle controlled by said arm; the aforesaid partsbeing constructed and arranged so that when circuit is open between saidcontact-arm and said conductor said brake mechanism shall be controlledthereby to arrest the motion of said vehicle, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination in an electric railway of a line conductor andelectric-motor vehicle, a movable arm on said vehicle normally closingcircuit between said vehicle-motor and said line conductor, a stopmovably sccured in proximity to said conductor, a signal in proximity tosaid conductor and means for simultaneously actuating said signal inpredetermined manner and also for adjusting said step in position tocause said arm on meeting it to move out of contact with said conductor,substantially as described.

6. The combination in an electric railway of a line conductor andelcctricnnotor vehicle, an arm on said vehicle normally closing circuitbetween said vehicle-motor and said line conductor, a movable cam inproximity to said conductor having its upper surface normally below theupper surface of said conductor, and means for actuating said cam tocarry its upper surface above the upper surface of said conductor, andthereby causing said arm in moving over said cam to break electricalconnection with said conductor, substantially as described.

7. The combination in an electric railway of a line conductor andelectric-motor vehicle, an arm on said vehicle normally closing circuitbetween said motor-vehicle and said line conductor, a signal inproximity to said line conductor, a movable cam in proximity to saidconductor having its upper surface normally below the upper surface ofsaid conductor, and mechanism for simultaneously actuating said signalin a predetermined manner and also for actuating said cam to carry itsupper surface above the upper surface of said conductor and therebycausing said arm in moving over said cam to break the electricalconnection with said conductor, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a line conductor, an electromotor-vchicle, amovable arm on said vehicle normally making electrical contact IIO saidconductor, means for displacing said movablebody so that it shall movesaid arm out of contact with said conductor, and a brake mechanism onsaid vehicle; the said brake mechanism being controlled by said arm whenmoved as aforesaid, to arrest the motion of said vehicle, substantiallyas described.

9. The combination in an electric railway wherein current is taken froma charged conductor by a traveling contact thereon, of the conductor B,bar 0 having inclined surface P, pivoted levers N supporting said bar,and rod M for actuating said levers, substantially as described.

10. The combination in an electric railway wherein current is taken froma charged con- 20 ductor by a traveling contact thereon, of theconductor B, bar 0, pivoted levers N supportin g said bar,rod Mactuatingsaid levers, pivoted signal-arm I, rod K for moving said arm, andmechanism for transmitting the motion of rod K to rod M, substantiallyas described.

11. The combination in an electric railway of a car, having a brakemechanism, a conductors valve Rcontrolling the same, a contact-arm Factuating said valve with conductor B along which said contact-arm Ftravels, bar 0 supported in proximity to said conductor, and means forraising said bar to move said contact-arm out of contact with saidconductor, substantially as described.

12. The combination-in an electric railway of a car, having a brakemechanism, a conductors valve R controlling the same, a contact-arm Factuating said valve with conductor B along which said contact-arm Ftravels,

- bar 0 supported in proximity to-said conductor means for raising saidbar to move said contact-arm out of contact with said conductor and avisual signal constructed to be eX hibited'in definite position by saidmeans,subs'tantially as described.

CHARLES H. DAVIS.

Witnesses J. A. VAN WART.

